St. Vincent establishes crime reduction task force amid rising murders
Key Points(5)
- Vincent and the Grenadines government has established a National Crime Reduction Task Force to coordinate efforts to combat escalating violent crime, including gun-related offenses, as the country records more murders than at the same point last year.
- Godwin Friday announced the initiative during his inaugural Independence Day address on Tuesday, saying the government was taking a more coordinated approach to tackling the problem.
- “I know that many of us continue to worry about the serious problem of violent crime.
- Gun-related crime is shattering our peace and destroying young lives.
- We are addressing this problem head-on,” Friday said.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines government has established a National Crime Reduction Task Force to coordinate efforts to combat escalating violent crime, including gun-related offenses, as the country records more murders than at the same point last year.
Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday announced the initiative during his inaugural Independence Day address on Tuesday, saying the government was taking a more coordinated approach to tackling the problem.
“I know that many of us continue to worry about the serious problem of violent crime. Gun-related crime is shattering our peace and destroying young lives. We are addressing this problem head-on,” Friday said.
The task force will bring together agencies responsible for law enforcement, border protection, maritime security, financial intelligence, customs, immigration, the Coast Guard and the justice system. Relevant ministers, department heads and senior police officials will also participate.
Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister St. Clair Leacock and Attorney General Louise Mitchell will co-chair the task force.
Friday said the initiative would strengthen communication and coordination among government agencies involved in crime prevention, law enforcement and the administration of justice. The task force will also consult other stakeholders where necessary.
“To be one step ahead of the criminals, we have to make sure that our networks are stronger,” he said. “The political will is present; we are using it to organize better to confront the difficult societal problem.”
The announcement comes amid another violent year in the Caribbean nation, where authorities have reported 42 murders so far this year, compared with 40 for all of last year.
Friday said the Attorney General’s Chambers had been directed to pursue criminal justice reform aggressively to close any loopholes that criminals could exploit.
The government has also examined crime-fighting initiatives in other Caribbean countries, including St. Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, to identify measures that could be adapted locally.
“We have looked at crime-fighting initiatives in other countries in the region such as St. Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago and wherever there are lessons to be learned, we will learn them and apply,” Friday said.
He added that the government would revise the Firearms Act and intensify efforts to crack down on illegal guns and firearms licenses, alongside measures already being implemented by the police.
In addition to the national task force, the Ministry of Social Mobilisation’s community outreach office will lead efforts to establish a citizen security task force. The body will bring together nongovernmental organizations, social workers, school principals, teachers, churches, community workers and other civil society representatives to strengthen community involvement in crime prevention.
Friday called on community leaders and social organizations to participate in the initiative, emphasizing the role of communities in addressing crime.
The government also plans to launch a 90-day crime reduction, border protection and citizen security action plan on December 7. Friday said law enforcement agencies would operate at the highest level during the period as part of efforts to improve public safety.
The plan will prioritize suppressing illegal firearms and gun crime, tackling gangs, strengthening border and port security, improving intelligence and information sharing, expanding visible community policing and outreach, and protecting young people through social interventions.
The government has presented the measures as part of a broader effort to strengthen coordination across law enforcement and justice agencies while increasing community participation in making St. Vincent and the Grenadines safer.
